"Oh my God, we totally nailed it!"
"Come here, someone hug me!"
"We did good, guys!"
Backstage was bursting with noise after the performance.
Sima Li and his dancers had formed a loose circle, all of them still glowing with adrenaline. Some were laughing breathlessly, some were hugging, some were lying dramatically on the floor as if they had just survived a war.
In a way, they had.
The opening had gone flawlessly. The performance had shaken the entire stadium.
The crowd had screamed so loudly that even backstage, the sound had felt like thunder pressing against the walls.
Sima Li stood in the middle of his dancers, drenched, breathless, and smiling.
After saying a few words to thank them, encourage them, and remind them to rest properly, the dancers finally scattered.
Sima Li turned and walked toward where Mo Fei and the others stood.
"Feifei," he called, smiling widely as he spread his arms. "Give me a hug."
Mo Fei immediately took one step back. "Pervert alert."
Sima Li burst into laughter. "Honestly, Mo Fei, you…"
He stopped for a moment and looked at him again, his smile softening into something more genuine.
"You blew me away with your performance. How did you come up with that on such short notice?"
Mo Fei blushed slightly. "What can I say?" He lifted his chin with shameless confidence. "I'm the best at what I do."
Sima Li smiled. "True."
Mo Fei's eyes curved. "Tell you what. If you're feeling appreciative, want to double my pay?"
Sima Li immediately coughed.
"Ah, what's that? Yes, Meixin, I'm coming!"
Without waiting for anyone to reply, he quickly scurried away.
Mo Fei "…"
Cheap coward. Flattering me for nothing.
Compliments were useless unless monetized.
Louis and Chen Yu walked up to him.
"Ready?" Louis asked.
Mo Fei nodded.
The show was over, and people were already beginning to leave. Staff were packing equipment, dancers were changing out of costumes, and the wild pulse of the concert was slowly calming into post-show exhaustion.
Mo Fei turned around.
Without meaning to, his gaze searched the backstage area.
"Where did he go?" he muttered.
Chen Yu glanced at him. "Who?"
Mo Fei stiffened.
"No one." He quickly turned back. "Let's go."
But even as he spoke, he looked over his shoulder again. It seemed Zhang Yichen had left earlier.
For some reason, that thought made his chest feel strange.
They walked outside together and soon found Sima Li standing beside a black SUV bus.
Sima Li waved them over. "You guys are heading home, right? Let's go together."
Mo Fei looked at Louis, then at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu shrugged and climbed into the bus first, settling into a seat. Mo Fei followed him inside.
Louis and Sima Li remained standing outside.
Louis stared at him for a moment. "Where's your driver?"
"He'll bring your car around," Sima Li said easily. "Why don't you drive us home?"
Louis frowned.
Then he looked into the SUV.
Mo Fei and Chen Yu were already relaxed inside, talking as if the arrangement had been settled without him.
Louis sighed. "Fine."
He pulled out his car key and handed it to Sima Li, who immediately passed it to Shen Meixin.
"Have the driver bring his car over later," Sima Li said to her.
Shen Meixin nodded and left to handle it.
Louis got into the driver's seat and started the car.
Sima Li climbed into the passenger seat. Just as Louis was about to drive off, someone called Sima Li's name.
Sima Li turned.
Nil was walking toward them. Behind him was Zhang Yichen.
Mo Fei, who had just settled comfortably into his seat, froze.
His soul nearly left his body.
"Yichen!" Sima Li brightened. "I thought you left. I'm still crashing at your place tonight."
"Mm," Yichen replied, he got into the SUV.
And, because fate clearly had personal hatred for Mo Fei, Zhang Yichen sat right beside him.
Mo Fei silently shrank back into his seat.
Yichen paid no attention to him.
Nil got in beside Chen Yu, and Chen Yu immediately snuggled against him.
"You're staying over at Mo Fei's?" Nil asked.
"Yup," Chen Yu answered, leaning comfortably into him.
Louis started the car and drove off.
As the SUV sped onto the highway, everyone gradually relaxed.
The city lights streamed past the windows, turning the inside of the vehicle into shifting patches of gold, blue, and shadow.
Sima Li stretched dramatically in the passenger seat. "I genuinely thought I was going to fall over when I did that spin," he groaned. "Luckily, I caught myself."
Chen Yu scoffed. "Looking at you, I'm surprised you're not partying by now instead of going home."
Sima Li waved him off.
"Too tired. I haven't slept properly in weeks. The party can wait." He turned slightly in his seat. "Besides, hanging out with you guys is more fun."
Chen Yu scoffed again.
Louis chuckled quietly.
Meanwhile, Mo Fei was silent as a dove.
Since the car ride began, he had not spoken more than five words. Even when someone asked him something directly, he only answered with a short yes, no, or a shake of his head.
He glanced sideways.
Yichen was sitting beside him, scrolling through his phone as if nothing in the world concerned him.
Mo Fei nearly bit his tongue.
This emotionally constipated man. Why, out of all the seats in the SUV, had he chosen the one beside him?
Mo Fei was finding it difficult to breathe properly.
He could not even bring himself to look at Yichen directly, not after how they had parted the last time.
If the Death Note existed, Mo Fei would gladly sign his own name in it right now and leave this world with dignity.
He sat stiffly, trying not to breathe too loudly. Trying not to move. Trying not to exist in a way that might draw Yichen's attention.
Once again, fate was playing with his thread.
Mo Fei cried internally.
Beside him, Yichen glanced at him.
At first, he had paid no mind to where he sat. He had wanted to go home alone, but then he saw Sima Li's SUV. Since Sima Li was already heading to his apartment, he decided to tag along.
That was all.
But now, seeing Mo Fei pretend he did not exist bothered something inside him.
After sleeping so shamelessly in his arms, now he wanted to play pretend?
The corner of Yichen's lips curved faintly.
Fine.
Let's see how long you can keep this up.
"So no one wants to party with me?" Sima Li asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable noise in the car.
"Your parties end in chaos," Nil said, shaking his head. "Count me out."
Sima Li immediately turned to Yichen with puppy eyes.
"Not a chance, Li'er," Yichen said without looking up.
Sima Li's expression collapsed. "You guys are the worst. I am a professional party thrower."
Chen Yu scoffed. "Professional, my ass."
Sima Li turned in his seat and pointed at him. "Don't mock me, you little brat."
"Say that again," Chen Yu said, baring his claws. "I triple dare you."
He made a motion to lunge at Sima Li, but Nil immediately dragged him back and held him down.
Sima Li smiled smugly. "You're just jealous I never invited you to any of them."
Chen Yu thrashed in Nil's arms. "Did you hear him? Let me at him... Let me at him!"
Mo Fei laughed.
Chen Yu immediately turned his head.
"You're in cahoots with this bastard?" he demanded. "Feifei, how could you?"
Mo Fei raised both hands. "No, you misunderstand. I would never."
"Grab his hair for me, Feifei," Chen Yu said, rolling up his sleeves. Or rather, attempting to roll them up. He was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. "With our combined strength, I refuse to believe we can't take him down."
Louis glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
"Do I need to set you guys straight back there? Keep it down."
Sima Li turned to Yichen in disbelief. "Yichen, you're not going to sit there and watch these two threaten me?"
Yichen looked up from his phone and gave a lazy shrug.
Sima Li, "…"
Who was he kidding?
"You never have my back," Sima Li grumbled.
Yichen finally glanced at him. "When have I never had your back?"
"Oh, I have a list."
Sima Li immediately pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his notes.
Everyone else, "…"
Sima Li held the phone toward Yichen's face.
Yichen blinked at the screen, genuinely unbelieving."Okay," he said slowly. "Point taken."
His eyes skimmed the list. Then he paused. "What's this one?" He pointed at the screen.
Sima Li glanced at it. "Oh, that's the time you left me stranded during my show and I got there late."
Mo Fei's ears perked up.
Chen Yu's eyes lit up immediately.
"Late to your own concert?" Chen Yu repeated slowly.
Sima Li cleared his throat. "That was a special circumstance."
Yichen coughed lightly.
"His flight booking had issues," he said calmly.
Sima Li turned on him at once. "Flight booking?" His eyes widened. "You deviant."
Yichen did not even look bothered. "You begged me for help."
Mo Fei blinked.
Chen Yu leaned forward, already smiling. "Oh, this sounds good."
Sima Li groaned. "It is not good."
"It was good," Yichen said.
Sima Li glared at him. "It was traumatic."
Yichen finally lifted his gaze from his phone. "You asked for my private jet," he said. "I booked it for you."
Mo Fei stared.
Private what?
Chen Yu whistled.
"That is not the point," Sima Li snapped.
Yichen continued, voice flat. "I arrived at the venue before him."
Nil's lips twitched.
Sima Li slowly covered his face with one hand.
Mo Fei, sensing gossip, forgot his own embarrassment for half a second. "And then?"
Yichen turned toward him. Mo Fei's eyes were glistening with curiosity.
Who knew he was such a gossip?
Yichen held back the urge to smile.
"I stayed among the fans," he said.
The car went quiet for one beat.
Then Chen Yu burst out laughing. "You?" he said. "Among fans?"
"That is not how the story goes!" Sima Li yelled.
"Oh, really?" Yichen relaxed back into his seat. "Then you tell it."
Sima Li glared at him, he turned toward the others.
Chen Yu and Mo Fei leaned forward at once. Nil was paying attention too. Even Louis, who was driving, had gone suspiciously quiet.
This tea was far too precious to miss.
"So," Sima Li began dramatically, "I was late for a concert. Back then, I had just gone solo, and my flight was delayed. I begged Yichen to let me use his jet, and guess what he did?"
Nil, Chen Yu, and Mo Fei all turned to Yichen.
Yichen was scrolling through his phone with the calm expression of a man who had no regrets.
They turned back to Sima Li.
"What did he do?" the three of them asked in unison.
Chen Yu suddenly glanced at Nil. "Wait. You don't know this story?"
Nil shook his head.
Chen Yu turned back to Sima Li immediately.
"Go on."
Sima Li pointed dramatically at Yichen. "He left me."
Mo Fei and Chen Yu gasped.
"He told me his jet was already booked. I was in a panic, so I had to find another way there. I arrived at my own show late. The fans were upset. Some were even cursing. And guess who I saw in the front-row VIP section?"
"Ahhh," Mo Fei gasped again.
Chen Yu's eyes widened. "No way. The bogeyman?"
Sima Li gave him a look of pure disgust.
Even Mo Fei turned to stare at him.
Chen Yu lowered his eyes. "What? It could be possible."
"Yichen!" Sima Li spat.
"No!" Mo Fei, Chen Yu, Nil, and even Louis reacted almost at once.
Sima Li's face twisted with betrayal.
"Ugh, you're being dramatic," Yichen said.
"Dramatic? Who's dramatic?" Sima Li nearly climbed over the seat. "You stood in the front-row VIP section, covered in a mask and waving a support flag."
Everyone slowly turned to Yichen.
Yichen looked at them calmly. "They were waving his flags," he said in his defense. "I had to do something."
Mo Fei's eyes widened slightly. "You waved Sima Li flags?"
Yichen looked at him and Mo Fei immediately looked away again.
Yichen's mouth curved faintly. "Yes."
Sima Li lowered his hand, still looking betrayed. "Don't say it like that. You were not innocently supporting me." He turned dramatically toward the window, pouting.
He would never forget that day for the rest of his life.
Who in this world had a best friend who, when asked for his private jet, booked the jet for himself just to attend the show?
Sima Li had arrived late, exhausted and panicking, only to look into the crowd and see Zhang Yichen standing calmly in the front-row VIP section.
Wearing a mask.
Holding a tiny support flag and waving it.
Cheering him on.
Sima Li had almost burst into tears on the spot.
Yichen, you heartless bastard.
Meanwhile, Yichen had simply given him a thumbs up and waved the tiny flag with even more vigor.
Chen Yu laughed so hard he nearly fell into Nil's lap. "This is why I say Zhang Yichen has no heart."
The entire car erupted.
Even Louis, driving in front, let out a quiet laugh.
Mo Fei stared at Yichen, stunned. Then he started laughing too.
Not the polite laugh he used in public. Not the careful smile he gave cameras.
A real laugh...
Unrestrained and Careless.
Yichen looked at him.
Silly jokes like this could actually reach him. The thought passed through Yichen's mind before he could stop it.
Mo Fei laughed until his shoulders shook, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. His eyes curved, his lips parted, and the tension that had made him sit so stiffly beside Yichen finally loosened.
The corner of Yichen's lips curved. He was smiling before he realized it.
And all because he was watching Mo Fei laugh.